Clothes follower or presser.



A. L. MULL.

CLOTHES FOLLOWER 0R PRESSER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, I918.

Patented Apr. 29,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. L. MULL.

memes FOLLOWER OR PRESSER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15'. 191B.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

mmmm

INVENTOR flrWfiWZaM M14? BY I A V W fling n ARTHUR L. MULL, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO H. W. ROUNTREE & BROTHER TRUNK AND BAG G O. INCORPORATED, OFYRICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

CLOTHES FOLLOWER 0R PRESSER.

7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

Application filed July-15, 1918. Serial No. 245,030.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. ARTHUR L. MULL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Clothes Follower or Presser, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention, which generically has reference to wardrobe trunks, is more particularly directed to certain new and useful improvements in (what is'termed in the art) followers or pressers that operate within that compartment of the trunk having garment supporting or hangermembers, which improvements are especially designed to hold the garments in such manner to prevent them from being crumpled or mussed up while the trunk is in transportation or is set up to serve as a wardrobe. 1

Follower devicesfor wardrobe trunks, as heretofore constructed, have beenof more or less complicated nature, especially when applied to the cheaper grades of wardrobe trunks, and more. or less difficulty has been experienced in adjusting them to the desired clothes pressing or holding position.

In some types of follower or presser devices used in the garment compartment of wardrobe trunks, with which I am familiar, such devices, to hold the top and bottom portion of the hanging garment, have been formed either of a frame arranged for being held against the garment by separate pressure applying and holding devices at the top and bottom portion and, in some instances, where free access to the garment compartment to remove or replace the garments, is desired, the follower devices proper need be wholly or partly bodily removed.

Again, in some of the appliances of the character stated and heretofore provided, the manipulation of thefolloweror presser devices has been so complicated that the handling thereof, especially when hanging ladies dresses, is such, that great care must be taken so that the costly garments are not torn or otherwise damaged. a Primarily, my invention has for its object to provide a garment holding or pressing device for wardrobetrunks of a very simple and inexpensive construction in which the adjustment thereof,'t0 its applied or released positions, is so simple, that any one can manipulate the same and the formation of the parts is such that danger of 1n ury to the hanging garments, of any character, is positively overcome.

In its more complete nature, my invention embodies a novel construction of garment presser and holding device, which, when its use is not necessary, can be quickly shifted to hang out of the way of access to the garment holding compartment.

Another and essential feature of my invention is the provision of a presser or follower device in which the follower element during the shifting operation of the device, first engages, presses and'holds the lower part of the garment and, when shoved up to the limit of-its pressure thrust, it remains locked for holding the lower part of the garment in place while the upper or other clamping portion of the device is swung up against the upper part of the garment, and locked in such position.

With other objects in view, all of which will be hereinafter brought out, my improved follower or presser device embodies certain details of construction and combination of parts, all of which will-be first described in detail, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a wardrobe trunkto which my invention is applied, the follower device being at the clothes pressing position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the swingable presser or follower device hereinafter referredto.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a portion of the clothes compartment of the trunk, the presser or follower device being shown in full lines at the clothes pressing position, a dotted position indicating the manner in which the lower end of the device is forced inwardly against the lower portion of the garment and another dotted position indicating the position of the follower when dropped down and not in use.

Figs. 4: and 4 are detail views of different forms of the upper locking guides hereinafter referred to.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the lower guides.

Fig. 6 is a detail view that illustrates the manner in which the locking elements on the fulcrum end of the follower device and the rack bar are cooperatively arranged.

Fig. 7 is a detail front view of the finger grip ends of the latch bolts for the upper presscr bar.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the free end of one of the side members and means for interlocking the lower bar end therewith.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of my invention, 1 designates the garment compartment of a wardrobe trunk of the conventional shape and in which my construction of presser orfollower device is operatively assembled.

My construction of presser and follower device includes an upper presser member that consists of a wooden bar 2 which ex tends crosswise and substantially the full width of the compartment 1, and an outer metallic casing 20 that includes longitudinally extended sockets2l21 separated at the center of the presser bar 2 and whoseends extend to the opposite ends of the said bar, as is shown in Fig.1, by reference to which it will be also observed that a guide bracket 3, that forms a continuation of the sockets 21-21 is attached tothe presser bar and closes the gap between the inner ends of the said sockets 212'1.

A spring ejected lock bolt or rod is slid ably mounted in each of the sockets 21-21, they being held to the normal or'locked position by the springs 5-5. The inner adja cent ends of the bolts H are bent to form finger grips 4-040 for being conveniently finger manipulated, when it is desired to withdraw the bolts .L4: from their locked position to free the presser or follower member 2- for being swung up or down as may be desired.

For holding the pressure or follower bar 2 in its different clothes pressing adjustments, the opposite ends of the clotlies compartment l are provided with looking plates 66, which may include a series of staggeredly arranged elongated slotsGO GO, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and t, or they mayhave ratchet elements 61, as shown in Fig. P;

A; combined guide and locking rack is located' on each end of the clothes compart ment 1', at a suitable distance below the up per locking plates 66;

Each of the combined guide and locking racks, one of which is shown in detail in Fig: 5, consists of a heavy sheet metal an-- gled plate 7, the face portion ofwhiclihas a longitudinally elongated guide slot 71, the purpose of which will presentlyapear. p The said combined guide and locking member also includes a rack bar .72 that is riveted or otherwise secured along the inner side of the lower edge of the plate 7, with the upper edge of the'teeth 73 thereof disposed in a plane below the lower edge of the guide slots 71, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. 8 designates, what is hereinafter termed,

forcedby meta-l guideloops 99" which slid ably engageopposite end rods 101O whose outer endsare fixed on the outer ends of the upper presser bar 2.

The lower end of each of the rods 10 includes'a flattened portion 11 and terminates inv an outwardly extended angled member 12 adapted for loosely projecting through and riding alongtheslot 71, the flattened portion 11 extending along; the; rod 10 a distance from the angled member l2 slightly greater thanthe' width of the presser bar 8, tlieupper end' of the: said portion 11 terminatingin= an abruptslioulder 13, as shown;

A locking pawl or dog 14L issceurecl' upon the outer endof each rod; member 12 for engaging with the rack-bar 72, when thetop presserfbar is swung up, and is held pressed against the clothing, as will be presently more fully explained:

Formingthe'ends of the side rods 1010 with flattenedlportions 11 and i shoulders 13, causes themetal end lloops 9'9, onthe lower. pressure bar 8, to seat upon theflattened portions 11 of the: said rodslO, when the follower device is: swung-i to the horizontal position shown in dottedlines-in Fig; 3and, when the followerdevice; is: thus positioned, theshoulders 13+-13 holdthesaidbar 8 from sliding outwardly on the 'rods 10, when pressure is applied in the direction of the arrow 15 for forcing the bar 8 against the lower portionof' the clothing; 1

Furtherrnore, since the-loops 9-'9= freely engage-thesaid bar-s10, when the follower device: is: swungto the: hanging or inoperative position, asshown indotted lines on Fig: 8, the ban s d'r ops ontothe (now bottom) bar2', itbein'g 'understood that, when the two bars" 81 and: 2 are: in the last stated position, afree clearance of' the clotheshold ing compartment is: provided for readily hanging or removing theclothing without danger of thesamecoming in contact or entangled with the presser: devices.-

By reason of'the peeuliarcohstruction of my follower o 'presser' device,--assuming:it

Whenthus positioned;- the ends 12--12of the side rods 10-10 ride freely in the guide slots 71'of tlie-endmembers 7, thereby providing for pressingthe lower baragainst 1 ,soaoee the lower portion of the, garment and, when the desired pressure is obtained, the device is swung up (the members 12'12 now constituting fulcrums) to bring the upper bar 6--6 on the opposite ends of the garment,-v

chamber.

To remove the presser or follower device, to allow free access to the clothing compartment, the spring latch rods are with drawn and the upper bar is swung down to the horizontal position for releasing the dogs on the ends of the members 1212 from the ratchet bars, after which the said device is pulled back until the angled portions 1212 of the rods 10 contact with the front end of the slots 7171, each of which slots has a seat or depression 75 at the outer end and, when the said ends 12-12 engage with the said seats, by then releasing the device, the side arms 1010 swing down by gravity with both the upper and the lower presser members located at the bottom end of the clothes compartment, it being understood that the presser bar 8 drops to the position shown in Fig. 1 and out of the way.

Since the construction of the trunk body and the clothes hanging elements are of a well known form, a detail description of the parts thereof has not been given.

What I claim is:

1. A follower device for garment compartments of wardrobe trunks comprising in combination with upper and lower pairs of guides on the opposite walls of the garment compartment; an upper presser bar, side arms attached thereto having their free ends horizontally slidably engaging the lower set of guides and forming fulcrums, means for locking the said free ends of the side arms at their slidably adjustable positions on the said set of lower guides and finger released latches on the upper bar that normally interlock with the upper pair of guides, when the device is swung up to the closed position.

2. A follower device for garment compartments of wardrobe trunks, comprising in combination with upper and lower pairs of guides on the opposite walls of the garment compartment; an upper and a lower presser bar, side arms attached thereto having their free ends shaped for sliding horizontally on the lower set of guides and to form fulcrums, and finger released latches on the upper bar that normally interlock with the upper guide bars, when the device is swung up to its closed position, th said lower presser bar being slidably mounted on the said side arms, and means on the arms and the lower presser bar for holding the said bar at the outermost ends of the said arms and cooperating means on the lower ends of the side arms and the lower set of guides for holding the device in pressing position.

3. A follower device for garment compartments of wardrobe trunks, comprising in combination with upper and lower pairs of guides on the opposite walls of the gar- .ment compartment; an upper and a lower presser bar, side arms attached theret having their free ends shaped for sliding horizontally 011 the lower set of guides and to form fulcrums, and finger released latches on the upper bar that normally interlock with the upper guide bars, when the device is swung up to its closed position, the said lower presser bar being slidably mounted on the said side arms, and means on the arms and the lower presser bar for holding the said bar at the outermost ends of the said arms, the said lower uides having seat portions at the outer en s for receiving the fulcrum ends of the bars, whereby to adapt the follower device to hang down out of the way, when not in use and cotiperating means on the lower ends of the side arms and the lower set of guides for holding the device in pressing position.

4. A follower device for garment compartments of wardrobe trunks, comprising in combination with upper and lower pairs of guides on the opposite walls of the garment compartment; an upper and a lower presser bar, side arms attached thereto hav ing their free ends shaped for sliding horizontally on the lower set of guides and to form fulcrums, and finger released latches on the upper bar that normally interlock with the upper guide bars, when the device is swung up to its closed position, the said lower presser bar being slidably mounted on the said side arms, and means on the arms and the lower presser bar for holding the said bar at the outermost ends of the said arms, the said lower guides each including a horizontal guide slot and a rack bar, and members on the fulcrum ends of the side arms of the follower device adapted for interlockably engaging the rack bar, when the follower device is swung up to its clothes pressing position.

5. A follower device for garment compartments of wardrobe trunks, comprising in combination with upper and lower pairs of guides on the opposite walls of the garment compartment; an upper and a lower presser bar, side arms attached thereto having their free ends shaped for sliding horizontztlly on the lower set of guid's and to 0n the upper bar that normally interlock with the upper guide bars, wheirthedevic'eis-swung up to its closed positio'ri; the Said arms, the said lower guides-each including a horizontal guide slot and a rack bar yalid members on thef1i1c1t1m'erid sm'f the side arms 01? the follbwer dvice'adaptedfor in- 

